How the Madonna-Whore Complex Affects Men's and Women's Mental Health

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHow Did the Madonna-Whore Complex Come About?What’s the Psychology Behind the Madonna-Whore Complex?How Does the Madonna-Whore Complex Affect Women?Men Are Affected Too—Here’s HowHow to Heal From the Effects of Misogyny

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

How Did the Madonna-Whore Complex Come About?

What’s the Psychology Behind the Madonna-Whore Complex?

How Does the Madonna-Whore Complex Affect Women?

Men Are Affected Too—Here’s How

How to Heal From the Effects of Misogyny

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Breaking Down the TermMadonnarefers to a pure and virginal womanWhorerefers to a woman who engages inpromiscuousbehavior

Breaking Down the Term

Madonnarefers to a pure and virginal womanWhorerefers to a woman who engages inpromiscuousbehavior

This article explains the origins of the Madonna-Whore Complex, the psychology behind it, how it affects women and men, and tips on how to challenge this harmful and inaccurate narrative and heal from its impact.

How Did the Madonna-Whore Complex Come About?

There are several theories that explain the origin of the Madonna-Whore Complex originated from.

One theory, according toFreudiandogma and feminist theory, explain it as a form of sexual dissociation and power imbalances that are a Western cultural feature of patriarchal oppression.

Another theory is biological, based on the suggested threat ofcuckoldryto males when females engage in multipleshort-term sexual encounters.

An additional theory about how the Madonna-Whore complex came about is associated with Judeo-Christian theology. Women are dichotomized into the category of either a pure angel or a promiscuous slut, setting up a culture where women are deemed acceptable and praised for being or presenting as a chaste “Madonna” and condemned, judged,blamed, and even punished if they fall into the category of a sexually liberated “whore.”

Women Represent Motherhood and Sex

In patriarchal and some religious cultures, it is believed females are mainly necessary for reproduction, survival, and the creation of families and should only have sex for childbearing purposes or when in a loving and committed monogamous relationship like marriage, not for their ownpleasure, experimentation, or enjoyment. The Madonna-Whore complex characterizes women who dutifully fulfill this limiting and sexist as good and valuable, having an acceptable role and knowing their place in society and community.

On the other hand, women who have agency over their sexuality and make decisions about their own bodies, presentation, and sexual pleasure are judged and categorized as dangerous and evil seductresses, tempting the opposite sex with wicked acts and sultry behaviors that supposedly cause men to lose control,helplesslyact on base primal instincts, and submit to their ungodly passions, either consensually or non-consensually for the woman.

Some interpretations of Biblical passages in both the Old and New Testament are that women were created for the purpose of serving men. Some people have interpreted these passages to mean that a good woman who does what her man says with unquestionable loyalty will be honored and protected, and a bad woman who disobeys the rules of man will be condemned and face the consequences of God.

For instance, when Eve ate the forbidden fruit and destroyed Paradise, God punished her through the pain and suffering of childrearing and complete subservience to her husband.

The Madonna-Whore Complex was first named and defined in the work of Sigmund Freud, a neurologist, theorist, and founder of psychoanalysis. His quote, “Where such men love, they have no desire, and where they desire, they cannotlove” describes how the complex affects the sexual function of heterosexual men.

Freud theorized that men with the Madonna-Whore Complex are unable to sustain feelings of sexual arousal for their partner because they cannot separate their romantic emotions for their partner and their loving feelings for their mother.

Freud theorized that men honor and respect their wives or girlfriends but ultimately lose sexual attraction to them because they associate sexual desire withpromiscuouswomen who they can debase, objectify, and treat with disrespect. This is the belief that led Freud to explain why men with the Madonna-Whore Complex struggle with sexual dysfunction in their romantic relationships.

Although it has been over a century since Freud’s theories were published, the Madonna-Whore Complex is unfortunately still prevalent and popularized in the modern world.

How Does the Madonna-Whore Complex Affect Women?

Feminist theory suggests that the Madonna-Whore Complex is rooted inmisogynyas it promotes patriarchal beliefs and aims to control women’s bodies and sexuality.

The complex negatively affects women’s mental health and sexual freedom, autonomy, and safety.

How Does Misogyny Affect Women?

Misogyny adversely impacts a woman’s mental health and well-being in many ways across her lifespan. Some of the harmful impacts women experience due to misogyny and gender inequality include decreased rates of education,unequal payfor the same employment role, a higher risk of psychosocial issues,domestic abuse and partner violence, being targeted for sexual violence, and increased stress due to childrearing responsibilities compared to men.

One specific way that the misogyny of the Madonna-Whore complex hurts women is when a woman is blamed for getting raped. The Madonna-whore complex puts full blame on the female rape victim, claiming that she was probably doing something to seduce the man like flirting or wearing a sexy outfit, and as a result, the man involved could not control himself as he was helplessly seduced, which he believed gave him permission to violate and sexually assault her because she is a whore and deserves to be treated as one.

Internalized Misogyny in Women

Internalized misogyny in women can manifest in their thoughts and/or behaviors. For instance, they may feel they need to change how they act or behave so that men view them as attractive.

Internalized misogyny in women may also lead them to judge, criticize, and gossip about or punish other women for being sexually confident, liberated, and free. This ultimately hurts all women, both the ones doing the judging and those being judged.

“Women may feel they need to turn up the dial on emphasizing certain qualities like being nurturing (Madonna) or being sexual (Whore)…This can manifest in anxiety, shame and/or confusion for women, ” says Dr. Litner.

It can be especially difficult for women who are conditioned to believe that being sexual or experiencing erotic feelings conflicts with having maternal, nurturing, and pure instincts.

What Does It Mean To Be Sex Positive?

Men Are Affected Too—Here’s How

In addition, the Madonna-Whore Complex can affect other areas of a man’s life. A study looked at the relationship between men’s misogynistic tendencies and mental health outcomes. The results showed that men who scored higher on misogyny were more likely to have a lower education, be unemployed, and more likely to experiencedepressive symptoms.

It concluded that misogynistic attitudes are associated with poor health outcomes among men and suggested further research to understand strategies to mitigate these beliefs in an effort to improve the well-being of all genders.

How to Heal From the Effects of Misogyny

There are multiple ways you can decondition yourself from misogynistic beliefs that harm your mental health and sexual satisfaction.

Make an Effort to Understand Your Beliefs About Sexuality

Take time to question and think deeply about your beliefs about sex and sexuality:

Challenge or Tune Out Shaming Messages

Enjoying sex is not demeaning or shameful. Don’t listen to those who may still be shaming women for their sexual desires—this is a reflection of who they are, not who you are.

When you observe or are exposed to shaming messages, remember your truth and know you are entitled to full agency when it comes to your own body and decisions about sex and sexuality.

“Sometimes there are messages in our society that are not productive or helpful because they perpetuate shame — rejecting these messages can be an act of resistance and empowerment,” shares Dr. Litner.

When you observe or are exposed to shaming messages, remember who you are and remind yourself that they do not align with your values. Instead, “direct your attention to things that bring you meaning as a sexual being,” adds Dr. Litner.

Try Sex Therapy

It is a courageous and self-loving decision to seek help and support for yourself when it comes to sexual struggles or challenging old and deeply held beliefs that may be preventing you from experiencing intimacy and fulfillment. Sex therapy can help improve your intimate relationships, increase libido, resolve issues with achieving an orgasm, boost self-esteem, and create more sexual satisfaction.

What This Means For YouIt’s important for men and women to challenge the harmful and outdated beliefs that the Madonna-Whore Complex perpetuates and how we can all heal individually and together from its impact.

What This Means For You

It’s important for men and women to challenge the harmful and outdated beliefs that the Madonna-Whore Complex perpetuates and how we can all heal individually and together from its impact.

Exactly How Dangerous Is Andrew Tate and His Misogynist Messaging?

6 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Hertler S, Perñaherrera-Aguirre M, Figueredo AJ.An Evolutionary Explanation of the Madonna-Whore Complex.Evolutionary Psychological Science.2023Feinman C.Women in the Criminal Justice System.3rd ed. Praeger; 1994.Hartmann U.Sigmund freud and his impact on our understanding of male sexual dysfunction.The Journal of Sexual Medicine. 2009;6(8):2332–2339.Bareket O, Kahalon R, Shnabel N, Glick P.The madonna-whore dichotomy: men who perceive women’s nurturance and sexuality as mutually exclusive endorse patriarchy and show lower relationship satisfaction.Sex Roles. 2018;79(9):519–532.Vigod SN, Rochon PA.The impact of gender discrimination on a Woman’s Mental Health.EClinicalMedicine. 2020;20:100311.Fleming PJ, Patterson TL, Chavarin CV, Semple SJ, Magis-Rodriguez C, Pitpitan EV.Are men’s misogynistic attitudes associated with poor mental health and substance use behaviors? An exploratory study of men in Tijuana, Mexico.Psychology of Men & Masculinity. 2018;19(2):314–318.

6 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Hertler S, Perñaherrera-Aguirre M, Figueredo AJ.An Evolutionary Explanation of the Madonna-Whore Complex.Evolutionary Psychological Science.2023Feinman C.Women in the Criminal Justice System.3rd ed. Praeger; 1994.Hartmann U.Sigmund freud and his impact on our understanding of male sexual dysfunction.The Journal of Sexual Medicine. 2009;6(8):2332–2339.Bareket O, Kahalon R, Shnabel N, Glick P.The madonna-whore dichotomy: men who perceive women’s nurturance and sexuality as mutually exclusive endorse patriarchy and show lower relationship satisfaction.Sex Roles. 2018;79(9):519–532.Vigod SN, Rochon PA.The impact of gender discrimination on a Woman’s Mental Health.EClinicalMedicine. 2020;20:100311.Fleming PJ, Patterson TL, Chavarin CV, Semple SJ, Magis-Rodriguez C, Pitpitan EV.Are men’s misogynistic attitudes associated with poor mental health and substance use behaviors? An exploratory study of men in Tijuana, Mexico.Psychology of Men & Masculinity. 2018;19(2):314–318.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Hertler S, Perñaherrera-Aguirre M, Figueredo AJ.An Evolutionary Explanation of the Madonna-Whore Complex.Evolutionary Psychological Science.2023Feinman C.Women in the Criminal Justice System.3rd ed. Praeger; 1994.Hartmann U.Sigmund freud and his impact on our understanding of male sexual dysfunction.The Journal of Sexual Medicine. 2009;6(8):2332–2339.Bareket O, Kahalon R, Shnabel N, Glick P.The madonna-whore dichotomy: men who perceive women’s nurturance and sexuality as mutually exclusive endorse patriarchy and show lower relationship satisfaction.Sex Roles. 2018;79(9):519–532.Vigod SN, Rochon PA.The impact of gender discrimination on a Woman’s Mental Health.EClinicalMedicine. 2020;20:100311.Fleming PJ, Patterson TL, Chavarin CV, Semple SJ, Magis-Rodriguez C, Pitpitan EV.Are men’s misogynistic attitudes associated with poor mental health and substance use behaviors? An exploratory study of men in Tijuana, Mexico.Psychology of Men & Masculinity. 2018;19(2):314–318.

Hertler S, Perñaherrera-Aguirre M, Figueredo AJ.An Evolutionary Explanation of the Madonna-Whore Complex.Evolutionary Psychological Science.2023

Feinman C.Women in the Criminal Justice System.3rd ed. Praeger; 1994.

Hartmann U.Sigmund freud and his impact on our understanding of male sexual dysfunction.The Journal of Sexual Medicine. 2009;6(8):2332–2339.

Bareket O, Kahalon R, Shnabel N, Glick P.The madonna-whore dichotomy: men who perceive women’s nurturance and sexuality as mutually exclusive endorse patriarchy and show lower relationship satisfaction.Sex Roles. 2018;79(9):519–532.

Vigod SN, Rochon PA.The impact of gender discrimination on a Woman’s Mental Health.EClinicalMedicine. 2020;20:100311.

Fleming PJ, Patterson TL, Chavarin CV, Semple SJ, Magis-Rodriguez C, Pitpitan EV.Are men’s misogynistic attitudes associated with poor mental health and substance use behaviors? An exploratory study of men in Tijuana, Mexico.Psychology of Men & Masculinity. 2018;19(2):314–318.

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